As a not-quite-related follow up to Agatha All Along and a more-related sequel to the MCU’s first TV show WandaVision, Marvel’s upcoming Vision series is ramping up to be just as exciting as any upcoming MCU movies (or any other future superhero movies for that matter). Paul Bettany’s android remains one of the most beloved Avengers, even if he technically died alongside other heroes back in Infinity War, and fans can’t wait to see the sci-fi storytelling that explores the current all-white Vision’s journey.
As such, it’s extremely fitting that the show’s producers have filled out the cast (and some crew) with talents who are very familiar with the science-fiction genre, and the latest of the castings is no exception. Vision officially added Battlestar Galactica vet Mary McDonnell, and given the timing of the casting news, I have to wonder how she’ll be used.
According to THR, McDonnell is set for an undisclosed role in the MCU, but the key information here is that Vision technically finished filming already during Summer 2025, with (presumably) the bulk of the cast already having been announced. So to me, this could mean one of two things.
One, TV casting reveals are rarely timed up to match up with exactly when actors sign on for projects. So it's entirely possible that McDonnell was added to the show earlier this year, and it's only now that the news has trickled down to press sites.
Two, if McDonnell legitimately was only brought into the Vision series this late in the game, then there's a huge chance that she was tapped for a solely vocal performance, perhaps to voice another A.I. program we're not familiar with just yet. Either way, I'm interested, even if I'd probably rather see her on the screen as opposed to a bot of some kind.
Even though the actress hasn't lent her talents to a ton of sci-fi projects, the ones she did remain big and beloved amongst fans. She obviously portrayed President Laura Roslin across various iterations of Battlestar Galactica,, but she also played First Lady Marilyn Whitmore in Independence Day opposite Bill Pullman. As well, she was the ever-relatable wife and mom Rose Darko in 2001's Donnie Darko, a favorite of mine. I can only hope she plays some kind of authority figure in Vision as well.
Vision's Other Sci-Fi-Friendly Cast Members
Mary McDonnell's BSG background definitely isn't the only major sci-fi experience to be found amidst this stacked cast. Here's a quick rundown of other cast members' biggest sci-fi highlights from their filmographies.
- Paul Bettany: Solo: A Star Wars Story, Transcendence,
- James Spader: Stargate
- Todd Stashwick: Star Trek: Picard, 12 Monkeys, Heroes, Star Trek: Enterprise
- T'Nia Miller: Foundation, Years and Years, The Feed, The Peripheral
- Emily Hampshire: 12 Monkeys, Slip
- Orla Brady: Star Trek: Picard, Doctor Who, Fringe, Revelations
- Faran Tahir: 12 Monkeys, Warehouse 13, Star Trek (2009), Elysium
Add to that the fact that Star Trek TV ringleader Terry Matalas is one of the executive producers and Vision episode directors, as well as Cube and Splice filmmaker Vincenzo Natali. I can't wait.
We'll definitely need to see some sci-fi wrangling to explain how James Spader's Ultron is returning to the fold, as well as how Iron Man's Faran Tahir will get utilized after his character Raza died in a 17-year-old film. Here's hoping there's something else beyond witchcraft involved here.
Vision, which doesn't have a fully finalized title yet, will be hitting the small screen after the 2025 TV schedule has completed.
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